CBS ‘Supergirl’ Pilot Leaks to Piracy Sites
High-quality copies of the pilot for CBS drama “Supergirl” — which isn’t set to air on the Eye until November — apparently leaked onto file-sharing pirate sites early Friday.
The episode is available in up to 1080p HD format and does not contain any evident watermarks, according to piracy-tracking firm Excipio.
The first copies appeared shortly before 3 a.m. ET Friday, according to the firm. As of about 9:30 a.m. ET, the “Supergirl” pilot had been downloaded more than 120,000 times worldwide, per Excipio.
CBS declined to comment.
“Supergirl” is slated to anchor CBS’s lineup on Monday nights for the 2015-16 season. The series stars Melissa Benoist (“Glee,” “Whiplash”) in the title role.
CBS touted “Supergirl” as one of its top new shows at its upfront presentation last week in New York City. The official first-look trailer on YouTube has already been viewed about 11 million times since it was posted May 13.
It’s rare for a pilot for a new TV show to leak out onto piracy sites — especially so far in advance of the premiere date. On the one hand, the early leak of “Supergirl” could put a damper on initial ratings. However, it could also serve to drive audience to the show and build buzz leading up to the fall season. TV networks have released pilots in advance of show debuts as a marketing tool but never this far in advance.
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